New Liquor License for Chains

Utah adds new liquor license for chains

Protection against Liquor License Shortages

The Salt Lake City Tribune reports on a new category of liquor license now available in Utah which makes it easier for chain restaurants to sell alcohol. The new liquor license for chains, which came into effect in May, allows chain holders to hold a single permit rather than a license for each new location. It costs $10,000 plus the initial liquor licensing fees for each location. There is no charge for the chain’s existing permits other than the annual renewal fees. To qualify a chain, the restaurant company would have to have at least five locations in the state. The new license was put into effect to protect national chains from having problems expanding in the state when there is a liquor license shortage.

During shortages, smaller applicants will have to wait until permits become available, a pool that is based on a quota formula tied to the state’s population. But if chains convert to a master license, their existing licenses would go into the pool, supposedly easing the shortage and helping mom-and-pop-type restaurants seeking to serve alcohol.

How do you feel about a special liquor license for chain establishments? Would such a policy be effective in Massachusetts?